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AMSAT's Eagle Project has just today received a sample collection (4+) of E05 01 Heat Sinks fastidiously machined by our friends at Embry Riddle Aeronautic University, Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the culmination of discussions started over a year ago. These heat sinks are designed to be riveted into Eagle's high-power electronic modules so as to enable the dissipation from the power devices in those modules. Such a heat sink will help couple the dissipated power to the spacecraft for its ultimate rejection to the space heat sink (temperature: 4K).

We are very much indebted to ERAU and Dr. Al Helfirck, K2BLA, a very long-time operator, for their participation in the Eagle Project.

What makes these heat sinks very special is that they are machined from a high thermal conductivity, 99% pure, aluminum. This alloy is 33% higher conductivity than alloy aluminum, and as such it is quite soft and difficult to machine. In addition, the surface finish of these parts is also demanding and ERAU has presented us with a superb product. The need for this kind of finish is, again, a thermal issue.

When experimenters are presented with these heat sink modules to work with their surfaces will be protected by a plastic film, of which we have a quantity. Such a protective film will be used on most all thermal conductive and radiative surfaces of importance, as they all are of delicate and soft alloys.